Many websites use tools such as WordPress to send email through your Titan account, and these tools store your email username and password. If a tool has a security flaw, attackers may be able to read those details and take over your email account. This article is for website owners and developers. It lists common flaws we have seen in compromised accounts, and what to do about the most serious ones.
How website flaws expose your email account
Many websites use a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, or an application framework to send email through SMTP. SMTP is the way a website sends email through your account. These tools need your email credentials, meaning your username and password, and they keep them in configuration files or databases. If the tool has a security flaw, attackers may be able to pull out those credentials and compromise your email account.
Flaws can exist in:
- The core platform (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Laravel)
- Third-party plugins, themes, or extensions
- Server or hosting configuration
- Login and access control logic
- The way data is handled, stored, and sent
Publicly known flaws are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). A CVE is a publicly disclosed security flaw with a unique ID, such as CVE-2023-45124. Each entry lists a description, the affected versions, a severity rating (the CVSS score), and references for fixing it. You can use the ID to look up a flaw, track it, and patch it.
Terms used in this article :
- Plugin: an add-on that gives a website extra features.
- Remote code execution (RCE): an attacker runs their own commands on your server.
- SQL injection: an attacker tricks a website's database into handing over information.
- Password hash: a scrambled version of a password that attackers can try to crack.
- Brute force: guessing passwords over and over until one works.
- DDoS: flooding a server with so much traffic that it stops working.
Common flaws seen in compromised accounts
These are some of the more common flaws and weaknesses we have seen while investigating compromised accounts. They can expose SMTP credentials, admin access, database credentials, or other sensitive information, which can lead to unauthorized email activity.
WordPress: SMTP and credential exposure
| CVE | Component | What it allows | Reference |
| CVE-2023-45124 | WP Mail SMTP | Unauthenticated attackers could read SMTP credentials stored in plugin settings through an exposed admin endpoint. | Reference |
| CVE-2022-2546 | Post SMTP Mailer | A low-privilege user could extract full SMTP credentials, including the password, through the plugin's log viewer, which stored credentials in plaintext debug logs. | Reference |
| CVE-2020-35234 | Easy WP SMTP | The plugin stored the SMTP username and password in plaintext inside a publicly accessible log file under wp-content, with no authentication required. | Reference |
| CVE-2021-24917 | WPS Hide Login | A bypass of the login page protection gave attackers direct access to wp-admin, where stored SMTP plugin credentials were accessible. | Reference |
| CVE-2023-6553 | Backup Migration Plugin | Unauthenticated remote code execution gave attackers full filesystem access, including wp-config.php and all plugin credential storage. | Reference |
Joomla and Drupal: credential exposure
| CVE | Component | What it allows | Reference |
| CVE-2023-23752 | Joomla Core | Unauthenticated access to REST API endpoints exposed the full site configuration, including the SMTP host, username, and password in configuration.php. | Reference |
| CVE-2015-8769 | Joomla Core | SQL injection allowed extraction of user credentials and mail server configuration from the database. | Reference |
| CVE-2018-7600 | Drupal (Drupalgeddon 2) | Unauthenticated remote code execution provided full server access, including Drupal's settings.php, where SMTP credentials are commonly stored. | Reference |
| CVE-2019-6340 | Drupal REST API | Arbitrary PHP execution through crafted REST requests exposed all stored configuration, including email settings. | Reference |
Login bypass vulnerabilities
These flaws let attackers log in as any user, including admins, without knowing the password. Once inside, they can access all stored credentials and plugin settings.
| CVE | Component | What it allows | Reference |
| CVE-2023-2982 | MiniOrange Social Login Plugin | Unauthenticated attackers could log in as any user, including admins, by exploiting improper email verification. Affects versions below 7.6.4. | Reference |
| CVE-2023-28121 | WooCommerce Payments | Attackers could impersonate any user, including admins, simply by adding a custom header to the HTTP request. It was widely exploited soon after disclosure. | Reference |
| No CVE | WP REST API user listing | The /wp-json/wp/v2/users endpoint shows valid usernames by default. This gives attackers the first half of a login before brute force begins. | Reference |
SQL injection vulnerabilities
SQL injection flaws let attackers query the database directly. They can extract password hashes, email addresses, and other sensitive records, and then use them to take over accounts or run credential stuffing attacks (trying stolen logins on other sites).
| CVE | Component | What it allows | Reference |
| CVE-2024-1071 | Ultimate Member Plugin | SQL injection in versions up to 2.8.2 allows unauthenticated attackers to extract password hashes from the database for offline cracking. | Reference |
| CVE-2022-21661 | WordPress Core (WP_Query) | SQL injection in WordPress core's WP_Query class (versions before 5.8.3) could allow extraction of credential hashes directly from the database. | Reference |
Turn off XML-RPC in WordPress
xmlrpc.php is a WordPress file that attackers can exploit in two main ways if you leave it turned on.
Vulnerability A: Amplified brute force attacks
The system.multicall function lets attackers bundle hundreds of password guesses into a single web request. This gets around login monitoring tools that only watch /wp-login.php. Instead of 500 separate requests, attackers need just one.
Vulnerability B: DDoS amplification through pingback
Attackers can use WordPress's pingback feature to turn your site against others. Thousands of WordPress sites can be tricked into flooding a victim's server at the same time. This can lead to your hosting account being suspended or your IP address being blacklisted.
| alert-warning |
Recommended Action Disable xmlrpc.php unless your setup explicitly requires it. Use a security plugin or server-level rule to block external access entirely. Click here |
Resources
- WordPress XML-RPC Overview — Overview of the XML-RPC API
- Wordfence: XML-RPC Brute Force Explained — Detailed breakdown of brute force via XML-RPC
- WPScan Vulnerability Database — Search known WordPress vulnerabilities including XML-RPC
Secure Laravel applications
Laravel is a popular PHP framework for building custom web applications. It is well built, but misconfiguration and outdated versions can expose an application to serious flaws.
Common flaws include:
- Debug mode left on in production, which exposes environment variables and error details
- Mass assignment flaws, caused by unprotected Eloquent models
- SQL injection through misuse of raw queries
- Remote code execution through deserialization attacks
- Exposed .env files that contain database and API credentials
| alert-warning |
Recommended Action: Disable Debug Mode in Production Leaving APP_DEBUG=true in a live Laravel environment is one of the most dangerous misconfigurations. It can expose database credentials, API keys, and internal file paths in browser error pages. Click here |
Resources
- Laravel Official Security Documentation — Best practices for securing Laravel applications
- CVE Details — Laravel — Publicly disclosed CVEs for Laravel
- Laravel.io Community Forum — Active developer community discussing security and best practices
- Snyk Laravel Vulnerability Database — Composer package vulnerability scanner
Where to stay updated
Staying informed about new flaws is one of the best ways to prevent a compromise. These resources publish regular security updates.
- WPScan Vulnerability Database — Updated daily with new WordPress vulnerabilities
- Wordfence Blog — In-depth security research and WordPress threat intelligence
- Patchstack — Plugin/theme vulnerability alerts with virtual patching
- iThemes Security Blog — WordPress hardening tips and vulnerability updates
General Web Security
- NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) — US government database of known CVEs
- CVE Details — Browsable CVE database by vendor and product
- OWASP Top 10 — The most critical web security risks
- Krebs on Security — Investigative journalism covering major security breaches
- The Hacker News — Daily cybersecurity news and vulnerability disclosures
- Bleeping Computer — Breaking security news and malware analysis
Community Forums
- WordPress.org Support Forums — Official WordPress community for security questions
- Security StackExchange — Expert Q&A on all things web and application security
- Reddit r/netsec — Professional network security community
- Reddit r/Wordpress — Community discussions including security issues
What you'll know when you're done
You'll know how a flaw in a website tool can expose your email password, which common flaws to look for in WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Laravel, and which two settings to fix first: xmlrpc.php in WordPress and debug mode in Laravel. Use the resources above to look up any CVE and keep your plugins and frameworks up to date.